Secrets of the Fallen
by Nicholas Wilde
Summary: The enemies of this world have a purpose. Some want power, others vengeance, But some are out for blood. When Crane is left crippled, The secrets of the past are unearthed. As China plunges into its darkest hour, The friendship of the five combined with a long-lost friend will save not only Crane, but all of China. (disclaimer: I do not own kung fu panda.)
1. Sacrifice

**Hey guys, this is my first Fanfic so please be kind! I am open to constructive criticism and pointers from other authors. Master Crane is my favorite of the Kung Fu Panda franchise because I feel he matches my personality. Please****Review and enjoy the story!**

**THANK YOU**

Crane was on the ground, his ears were ringing, and his feathers were drenched in blood. As he faded in and out of conciseness, Shadows and demons seemed skip around him. Whatever control he had over his sanity was draining away, and he felt the life seeping out of him. He knew that if he let himself slip away, he might not be able to return...

**15 minutes earlier…**

"If my calculations are correct, then the bandits should be upon the Tóugǔ pass soon." estimated mantis. "Good." Replied tigress "We can use the heavy brush to cover our attack." The Tiger turned to face her allies. "Alright everyone, here's how this is going to go down.

"Mantis, I want you and monkey to create a diversion to stop the convey from moving any further." The duo smiled at each other and nodded affirmatively. "Viper, I want you to help me retrieve the thunder stones." "If we're lucky we might be able to get out of this one without a fight". "Crane, I need you to scout from above." If something goes wrong I want you to strike from the sky and provide us with cover". "Po, I need you to… well, just find a way not to compromise us this time." He nodded in embarrassment. The last time he had nearly gotten them killed by a group of rouge wolves when he decided to use "stealth mode". He had to admit it was not one of his strongest "modes".

"If this goes correctly, and we can acquire the stones without a fight, then we will meet here". Tigress pointed to a small village located southeast on their map. "If things go bad, just regroup where we are now. Does everyone understand?" The five nodded agreeably and took their positions upon the path.

"Monkey, mantis, I'm going to signal you with three flashes when you are to create the diversion." Tigress said "Fine with me, we have a few tricks up our sleeves." Monkey chuckled. The tiger than looked at Crane. "in three minutes I want you to report back to me and provide the information we need about the convoy." "Can do." The avian replied before taking flight.

Crane soared over the Tóugǔ pass, looking for his targets. One of the things about flight that he never got tired of were the amazing views of the foreign valleys bellow.

The avian had noted that between seven and eight thirty PM was the best time to admire them. The gleaming sun would turn a beautiful shade of red and transform the white clouds into vibrant oranges, yellows, and purples. If the Sights were simply extraordinary, than he would sometimes skip his usual calligraphy sessions and paint what he had seen. This evening, Dark clouds and heavy showers reduced visibility to a minimum. This would make scouting a whole lot harder for the avian master.

He started to descend to an altitude of only 75 feet. He saw nothing but the wet, dirt path for about a minute. He began to wonder if mantis's calculations were off. At that moment, a flash of lightning briefly revealed the shadows of what seemed to be a large group of travelers. That was all crane needed before he was able to identify the number of warriors and how they would advance tactically. The avian then returned to his leading comrade.

"Tigress! This is going to be harder than we thought. The enemy convoy has about thirty armed defenders both in front and back of the wagon they are using to transport the stones. They also have four heavily armored rhinos and about ten dead shot wolves with crossbows."

"I'm not sure we are capable of taking down a force this large by ourselves." He said unsure of himself.

"Well, what do you suppose we do?" Tigress replied.

" since the wagon is covered from all sides, I would say that once mantis and monkey stop the convoy, we use the cover of the storm to pick off members of the group until we can successfully reach the cart." "And how do you suppose we do that?" she asked. "Well, you might think I'm crazy, but this might be the only way we get the stones." Crane replied.

**Meanwhile… Bandits P.O.V.**

"Geez, man. This place gives me the creeps." One of the wolves whispered to his companion. "Yea, no kidding. They call this place the Tóugǔ pass for a reason." the wolf beside eyed him curiously. "Why is that?" "I've heard stories from the locals in this area that something evil lurks in the shadows. "He said. " More evil than us?" the wolf responded with a mischievous grin. His companion sent him a look full of daggers. "Listen." He said harshly. "I'm not evil. I actually need this money. Unlike you I have children to feed." "Whatever." The wolf next to him replied as if he could care less."anyway, I guess according to the locals, that anyone who glimpses upon this beast dies before they can react." He said tensely. "Ha! And what exactly does this spooky demon look like?" his companion responded sarcastically. "Like A dragon, but without the magnificence or splendor. It is completely black, has the wings of an eagle, and the body of a lion." "C'mon, Sounds like a myth to me. I can't believe you're still scared of little fables that ar-"

CRASH!

"What the heck was that!?" The two wolves yelled in unison. Their voices blocked out by the yells of panic and frustration ahead of them. " Get them out of there!" "it's blocking the path! We need more men!" "Get a medic!" the frantic voices screamed.

Two of the rhinos behind them ran up to help with the situation. One of the wolves stopped them. "What's going on up there!?" he anxiously asked." I think a boulder just rolled up onto our men up front! The rhino replied ''Its blocking the path now!"

Thunder crashed and the rain came pouring down even harder.

"Once we get this cleared up we better find shelter from this storm!" the rhino shouted as he continued to run to the face of the caravan.

Screams now came from the back of the convoy.

"Luó! Where'd you go!? Luó, you better not be playing games with me this time!"

"HOLY S-"

His voice abruptly stopped, and all that could be heard now was the distant thunder and the confused voices of the convoy members.

The attention was now directed to the center of the caravan.

"What is that thing!?" the panicked wolves howled as they pointed to the skies.

The lightning revealed a large shape that could only be mistaken as the body of some large bird.

On the lower half came what looked like a large felines arms and legs.

It soared down yet again and grabbed another panicked wolf from its position and into the clouds.

"Well? Don't just stand there like idiots, DO SOMETHING!" their commanding officer screamed. "ARCHERS, TAKE YOUR POSITIONS!

READY!

AIM!

FIRE!

**Meanwhile… Tigress and Crane's P.O.V.**

"You are crazy!" Tigress shouted through the wind and rain. "Yea, but my plan worked!" Crane shouted back. "Who would've thought that by you carrying me through the clouds to ambush the enemy from the air would've worked!?" She questioned. Obviously I did! The avian chuckled. "Crane! We have arrows!" She called out.

"Tigress, land in those tress over there and assault the enemy, I'll take care of those arrows!" Crane said. With that he released the tiger from his grasp. He now eyed the wall of arrows that approached him. "WINGS OF JUSTICE!" He screamed before sending a mighty explosion of wind hurling towards the arrows that confronted him. They were immediately redirected towards the ones who had shot them.

Meanwhile, tigress had regrouped with the five right outside of the caravans main perimeter. "Great diversion with the boulder up front" tigress said to mantis and monkey. The duo smiled. "Our pleasure." They replied simultaneously. Po glanced around. "Hey, where's Crane?" he asked, noticing the avian masters absence. "I think crane is sending these bandits a message." Tigress replied tonelessly. Just as those words came out of her mouth, a rain of arrows fell upon the enemy convoy wounding fifteen.

"Alright here's our chance, attack now!" tigress shouted. The five rushed onto the battlefield, and began to assault the enemy. Tigress delivered a series of bone crushing kicks to the rhinos, rendering them unconscious. Beside her, Viper was tripping up the wolf bandits allowing Po to fight them with ease. Then, you had monkey, who would toy with his opponents while mantis would take them down while they were distracted.

"Po, grab the thunder stones!" yelled viper.

"Don't worry, I got this under control" Po said coolly. He effortlessly delivered a double backfist combo to a line wolves that blocked his path.

"Geez, that was… too easy." Po said chuckling to himself.

however, the panda faced a new problem. Finding the Thunder Stones. The lightning flashed once again, as a sinister voice rang from behind.

"Looking for these?"

A leopord, covered in black cloth, extended his hand which held a velvet sac. "His paw tightened around it. "If you want it, come and get it panda."

"FEET OF FURY!" Yelled Po.

He delivered multiple rapid-fire kicks to his enemy. The figure in return, swiftly blocked each blow, and grabbed Po by the neck, hurling him into a nearby boulder.

The panda got off the ground, and faced his foe. However, he was nowhere to be seen.

"AAAAARGH!" A knife was forced around his neck, and would've killed him, if it weren't for the panda's quick actions with his hands. The knife was becoming exceedingly close, and it was only a couple inches from his flesh. "Po! Hold on to something!" Shouted the avian who had returned from his previous scouting mission. The panda hurriedly elbowed his opponent in the stomach and held on to the ground for dear life.

The master then reared his wings and shouted "KA KAW!" as he propelled a massive gust of wind towards his foe.

Whilst Po struggled to keep his grip on the ground, The cat was blown off of his feet, and flung into the trunk of a tree.

The cloth that was concealing his face unraveled, revealing a young snow leopard with a jagged scar that ran down the side of his face.

Crane glanced back at Po. "Go give the Tigress the thunder stones, I'll take care of him." He said as he gestured to the leopard in front of him before taking flight.

The avian soared above him, before plunging to the ground, talons outstretched. Prepared for this, the leopard blocked the anticipated attack and countered it with a series of concrete punches.

Crane, also skilled in hand to hand combat, used his powerful wings to deflect all punches thrown by his opponent. The master assaulted with agility and swiftness, Just as he was trained at the Lee Dai Kung Fu Academy. Crane delivered a deafening blow, Knocking the young cat into one of his enemy comrades.

"I swear, If you even consider touching one of my friends again, You're as good as dead." The avian said severely.

The leopard spat out some blood and chuckled. "Of course! He responded merrily. Why would I ever want to touch your friends again if I could just do THIS every time?"

Upon saying those words, the cat cranked back an arrow into his crossbow and fired, narrowly missing the avian master and hitting a tree. "You Bastard!" Crane shouted. He sprang into action before prepping himself for the next projectile that would be sent hurling his way.

This time, crane was ready for it. Everything slowed down, and the arrow seemed to approach gradually. He leapt into the air, grasped the dart with his talons underneath him, flipped forward, and using the same momentum that it was shot with, launched the arrow back towards the shooter. The leopard did not expect the arrow he had shot at the bird to come flying back to him with such speed. He didn't move in time, and the arrow was sent straight into his thigh.

"AAAAAARGH!" The cat screamed in agony as he crashed to the ground. The crimson blood began to trickle from the wound site forming a small puddle beneath him. "DAMMIT!" he cried through gritted teeth before glaring at the Avian in pure hatred. "Well?!" he shouted angrily "Are you going kill me?!"

Crane shook his head. "You see, I'm not like you. I don't kill." The cat was perplexed by this. "Wait! Didn't you say that I would be good as dead if I touched your friends again?" The avian chuckled to himself. "Well, you never actually touched my friends considering that you failed to do so… You have fun pulling that thing out of your leg." With that, the avian left him to his rather unpleasant endeavor.

The leopard was absolutely calm on the outside. You could even call it subtle, but on the inside, there was a typhoon of fire and hell.

His eyes darted to the avian that had rejoined his comrades. "I wont kill you bird." He whispered wrathfully. "You have proven yourself well." His eyes then narrowed on the tiger beside him. He smiled menacingly. "But I will not hesitate to kill your friend."

He glanced down at the wound in his leg and groaned before unsheathing his knife. He set the blade in his mouth before reluctantly gripping the arrow in his thigh, the slightest movement causing unbearable pain. "well, here goes nothing." He said shakily. With that he began to wrench the projectile out of his limb.

Meanwhile, crane, who had just regrouped with Tigress, was aiding her in the assault against three masked wolves who seemed oddly familiar.

"Crane!" the tiger shouted, "Blue dragon!" the avian nodded affirmatively. The five always had "code names" for their attacks to prevent their foes from learning them.

Crane flew low and extended his right leg to the ground. In turn, tigress grabbed it, before the avian made three flips in the air before releasing tigress and sending her flying towards her attackers with tremendous speed. The force of her impact was so great, that the foes were sent hurling through trees and into boulders.

However, No mater how loud the fight was, nothing was as loud as the deafening whistle that sliced through the air.

Without thinking, the avian screamed at the top of his lungs. "TIGRESS WATCH OUT!"

Crane couldn't stop the arrow this time. It was too late for that.

The only thing that could be done was the last idea that would ever appear in his mind. He knew that once he was committed, there was no going back. But like the rest of the five, Tigress was his friend, and there were no options left.

He leapt in front of the tiger at the last possible moment, stopping the arrow dead in its tracks.

Tigress unaware of what had just happened whirled around only to find crane collapsed on the ground and not moving.

" Crane get up! we have to keep fighting!" He didn't respond.

"Crane!

Tigress lowered herself onto her knees and turned the avian onto his back, only to find that his once snow white chest had turned blood red.


	2. Choices

**Okay guys, so I'm glad I got some feedback and I would like to reply to those reviewers. Thanks for your support:**

**TheWhisperingWarrior: As my first reviewer, I would like to thank you for your kindness in the review, your support helps. :) **

**Veleticj: I'm sorry the first chapter didn't really appeal to you, but thanks anyway for the constructive criticism. **

**JubJub 0250: Thanks for the review, and now you get to find out what happens.**

**Master Crane: You've been one of my favorite authors for a while, and it's an honor to have you reviewing. Thanks for that. I hope we can chat sometime!**

**Alright, please enjoy,**

"Crane stay with me." Tigress plead. "Please don't leave us now." The avian was now coughing blood and shaking violently.

"t-tigress…" Crane said weakly. "If I d-don't make it out of this, I w-want you to- DONT TALK LIKE THAT! YOU'RE GOING TO BE OKAY!"

Po, who had just noticed his injured pal, became extremely nervous and began to fight his way towards him. When the panda finally caught a glimpse of the crumpled bird, He couldn't hold it in. "CRANE?! NO!" he screamed in horror, causing the rest of the five to stop what they were doing and observe the ongoing dilemma

Crane could feel the tears begin to well up in his eyes. "I-I'm sorry, Tigress." He sputtered. "But if it's my t-time than its m-"tigress hushed him once again. "Please crane… Don't do this." The tiger could feel herself shaking nearly as much as the avian in front of her.

"Tigress!" Mantis yelled as he approached her with the rest of the five. "We need to get Crane out of here and apply pressure to that wound."

"I'm on it!" Po yelled anxiously. With that he hoisted the limp bird over his shoulders, carful to avoid any contact with the wound site, and carried him to safety. This was behind a large boulder where the five could more easily assess the damage without being attacked.

"Set him down here Po." Mantis said trying to remain calm. "Alright, *pant* here you *pant* go." Po replied exhaustedly.

"Geez Po what took so much out of you?" Viper asked. Po, who was now sitting, replied. "Crane, he's *pant* pretty *pant* heavy." he said nearly ready to pass out.

"What? No he's not! You just don't do enough strength training you idiot!" Monkey exclaimed irritably.

"Quiet you two!" yelled mantis annoyed.

The insect glanced back at the massive pool of blood where the avian was originally laying, and then the trail that was leading up to where they were now.

"My god." Mantis looked at tigress. "if he keeps loosing blood like this, than… Crane's not going to make it.

"Well, there has to be some way we can help him!" we've only lost one member of the Jade Palace and that was Master Oogway. I'm not losing anyone else. Not on my watch."

"There is one way." Mantis replied unsure of himself. "I've been working on a new acupuncture technique that might just save his life. The problem is, I've only been working on it for about two weeks.

"Yea, so what's the problem with that?" Po asked urgently. Mantis turned to face the panda. "The problem is that if I happen to do this wrong, it could send crane into Cardiac Arrest." Replied the insect dully.

"But if I do this correctly, then I can reduce blood flow to the wound site therefore allowing us t- what is cardiac arrest again?" Interrupted Po.

Po, I swear, If we keep have to dealing with your nonsense then we can't keep taking you on missions!" Mantis shouted angrily.

Po was fed up with his comrades' reactions, and decided to speak up. "Why, take me along then?!" he retaliated. " I guess you're the stupid one for taking me on a mission that I would get in the way of anyway!"

Everyone stared at the panda in disbelief of what they had just witnessed. It wasn't like Po to react in an aggressive manner.

"No one ever gives me credit for the good deeds I do. Sure every once in a while I'll get a, "well done Po." Or a, "thanks for that Po. " But do you really mean it? NO!"

Mantis was furious now. "You take what you have for granted you good for nothing-"

"Guys! Shut up!" yelled Viper. "I hope you haven't forgotten that we're in a battle zone with an injured comrade!"

"Viper is right." Agreed monkey, who had finally decided to speak up. "Our attention should be focused on crane, not impractical conflicts."

Mantis glanced back at Po. "I'll deal with you later." Muttered the heated insect "Ditto" replied the panda. They glared into each other's eyes for a few moments.

Crane, even with his astounding loss of blood still had consciousness. "Even f-five minutes after I'm down, c-chaos brakes out a-among you." The avian warrior chuckled, occasionally stopping to cough blood. "looks like I was t-the only one holding you guys t-together."

The five took a moment to consider the reality in crane's words. He was what you could call a talk first punch second kind of bird, who would avoid and settle fights between the five at all costs to ensure that their relations would remain strong.

"I've made my decision." Mantis said grimly. " I believe that I'm to inexperienced to preform this specific acupuncture technique. I'm very sorry crane, but, I can't risk sending you into Cardiac arrest."

Crane nodded, then rested his head on the ground. It was at that moment that he noticed the absence of one of his most prized possessions. "W-where's my hat?" Viper decided to speak up for this one. "Crane, please don't talk… I promise we'll find it later. Right now you just need to rest." The avian was now glancing around franticly for his hat, as if it was the most precious thing in the world. "No, I-I must find it, it's t-to important, p-please…"

His eyes began to falter and fall shut. Before closing completely.

The five just stared in bewilderment. Their minds completely stunned at the series of events that had taken place in just a single day. Of course, there were the events at the battle against Shen's forces at Gongmen, but at least they had all made it out alive.

Could this all really be happening? Was Crane really going to die?

Tigress looked around at her friends. She never really considered them as friends, (except for Po.) Just mere acquaintances. But now, to her, they meant more than family. "No one's dying today. Everyone… grab one of Crane's limbs and hold it to the ground.

Without hesitating, the five complied with these orders and braced themselves for the inevitable.

"Um, Tigress, what do you exactly have in mind here?" Mantis asked questioningly. She just stared at the ground. "You guys are going to wanna hold Crane tight for this one. I have a special medical solution from the Lotus Temple of Diànyuán." She said as she pulled out a small vile containing orange liquid.

Po was completely astonished. "Did you just say the Lotus Temple of Diànyuán? That place was destroyed over 400 years ago! How did you manage get such a thing?"

Tigress smiled softly. "Well, I guess one of Shifu's great ancestors was a student there, and this medical solution was passed down ever sense. I achieved it from Shifu when he took me in from the Bao Gu Orphanage. He told me that if I ever attained serious injury, just to apply this and everything would be okay.

"That's great, but why are we holding crane down?" Monkey asked. Tigress lost her smile. "Because… It burns like fire." Monkey didn't reply, he just tightened his grip a bit.

"There's no telling that this will save crane's life, but the solution will disinfect the wound and help relax his muscles in the long-run. This could buy us some precious time."

Tigress looked at the bottle. "Well, here goes nothing." With that, she uncorked the cap and began to apply the liquid. Upon Contact, the solution became searing hot, and evaporated off the wound.

The Avians' breathing began to drag out into long exaggerated gasps for air. His muscles were contracting and tightening, offering some resistance to those who held him down. Suddenly, His eyes sprang open.

"AAAAAAAAAAAARGH! OH MERCY PLEASE, IT BURNS!" Crane was now struggling with all his might, and was ready to fight to the death if it meant escaping the overwhelming pain that washed over him. "Crane! Calm down!" Viper plead with him. All that he could get out was " I-IT'S UNBEARABLE!"

The solution was practically boiling off the wound and was now sending steam into the air. The avian was kicking and flapping his wings wildly, his eyes we darting franticly from here to there, and the five knew that they wouldn't be able to hold him much longer. "L-LEAVE ME ALONE! AAAAAAAARGH!" he screamed.

His eyes shut tightly and his muscles sent one last violent jerk when suddenly, they went slack. His eyes relaxed and his breathing slowed to a reasonable pace, and Tigress knew, the solution had done its job. "We need to get moving, and fast. The fluid that I just applied will relax Crane's muscles and disinfect the wound, but it won't stop the Bleeding. We will proceed as planned by rallying at the small southeastern village on our map."

The five nodded in unison, all except for Monkey. He was staring at the map with an awkward expression on his face. "Tigress, I have something you might wanna know." He said whilst still observing their coordinates. "And what might that be." She replied tonelessly. Monkey looked up. " I have good news and bad news. The good news is that the village is only about a mile away. The bad news is that to get there, we have to go over…" Monkey turned around and pointed. "That". Where his finger followed, the ground rose slightly, and suddenly dropped off. Monkey then faced the five and grimly said. "The ancient cliffs of Bù guī lù."

As the optimist of the group, (other than Crane) Po had to chime in with his thought. "Well, It's no big deal right? I guess we can just go the extra length around the cliffs and we'll be at the village in no time." Mantis was staring at the panda's exceedingly large belly and shaking his head. "Yea right, we'll be there in no time." He sarcastically muttered under his breath.

Tigress, who had decided to scout the fives' given surroundings. Decided to take a glimpse over the boulder that concealed their location. "Guys, I'm afraid going around these cliffs isn't an option." Everyone anxiously stood up. "But… But why." Po nervously questioned. The tiger sat down. "How bout you take a look for yourself." She replied whilst lowering her head.

Compliantly, the five began to slowly peek their heads over the top.

They were surrounded. About 45 armed wolves, rhinos, and sheep were slowly approaching their position. This time, the enemy knew who they were fighting against. This would be a new battle, one that the five couldn't win.

Viper slithered away from the boulder and sat up against her fellow comrade. "Tigress, we're surrounded and outnumbered. We're not trained to fight a force this large by ourselves. For the first time, we have to surrender." "AND THEN WHAT?! DO WE JUST GIVE UP THE THUNDER STONES, OUR REPUTATIONS AS KUNG FU MASTERS, AND PROBABLY OUR VERY LIVES?! Tigress was standing now, her eyes blazing like the fire of a dragon.

Viper was struggling to keep herself calm, but she managed to keep her cool. "Well, if we don't surrender, but don't fight, than what do you suppose we do?" Tigress, as well as the rest of the five went silent. All that could be heard was the eerie crunch of the leaves, underneath the feet of their armed attackers.

"We jump."

"What?" the five said in perfect unison.

Tigress looked up. "You all heard me." The group just starred. "are you insane? That's suicide!" Mantis said outlandishly. "You need to completely understand the circumstances that we have r-" "HEY! THERE THEY ARE!" The smooth but icy voice of an enemy wolf rang through the air, alerting the rest of his squad of their presence.

"That's It! We have to jump now!" Tigress ordered. She hoisted Crane up onto her shoulders, some of the warm blood splashing onto her vest. "Lets go!"

The five accepted their given fate, and ran along side their leading comrade. For a moment nothing could be heard, Just the sound of a heartbeat. They didn't know who's, but it echoed louder than the most resonant Gong. They began to wonder If everyone heard this before they were about to die.

Together they listened, together they ran, and together they jumped.

**Don't worry guys! This isn't the end! And don't worry, Mantis and Po will resolve their differences, It's not like Po to stay angry.**

**Thanks for the support so far and PLEASE REVIEW. It really does help.**

**Thanks.**


	3. Memories

**Okay, before I say anything about the story, I have to mention this. I have a friend whose brother was recently admitted into the Intensive Care Unit of Children's Mercy. He has been diagnosed with meningitis. Please keep him in your thoughts.**

**Hey, I got some reviews and now it's time for a shout out!**

**Veleticj: I got your PM and I'm glad you're following the story. Thanks for reviewing!**

**TheWhisperingWarrior: Thanks for all the kind reviews. I'm glad you like the story!**

**Master Crane: I liked your update to FH, and I hope you keep updating. Thanks for keeping up with my story!**

**Pugmaster5503: Thanks for reviewing, and I hope you like this chapter.**

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**Lola3934: Thank you for the reviews, I'm happy you like the story and It means a lot to me as a somewhat-new writer.**

**Okay, please review, I would like to know what you think of this story. And sorry for taking awhile to update, It's hard for me to find time to write while balancing school and sports. **

"Good match Jien," Mei Ling chuckled. "You almost had me back there." Crane couldn't help to smile. After all, it was the mountain lions' great compassion that had inspired him to show his true colors. Thanks to her, he was now one of the most skilled warriors (other than Mei Ling herself) at the Lee Dai Academy.

Crane had just finished his last sparring match with the feline and had decided to retreat to their dorms together. As they were walking, the avian glanced over at his friend. She was wearing her usual, but completely stunning emerald green vest, overlain with black and gold, along with her pitch-black gloves, that never seemed to come off. She would always have her bamboo staff at the ready, wherever or whenever it was. But to top it all off was her beautiful blue eyes. They were always full of optimism and pride, and would comfort, even at the darkest of moments.

The avian would never admit that he actually had a crush on the feline, But in his heart he knew, Somehow, she was the one. "You okay Jien? You've been starring at me for the past minute and a half." Crane shook his head and blushed. "Oh, um… sorry, I…um " he stammered. "Oh chill out it's not that big of a deal." Mei ling said jokingly. "Um… yea sure." Crane smiled.

"So, you gonna show at the blood moon festival tonight?" Mei Ling asked casually. Crane stopped, with a puzzled expression. "The blood moon festival?" the feline beside him almost lost her balance. "Wait, you've never been? Are you serious!?" the avian shook his head. "Mei, you know I've only been a student here for only seven months. I was never allowed to participate in any of the events as a janitor." The mountain cat paused, reminiscing about her first days of meeting the young avian.

She grinned and playfully slugged him in the arm. "Well how bout you come to my dorm for a bit and I can explain to you the significance of this ceremony. "Sounds good to me." Crane replied appreciatively.

Together they strode into the large stone Barracks that housed most of the Lee Dai inhabitants. "Alright listen closely," instructed Mei Ling. "If you ever need me, my room is on the second story and has a small ML etched in the door. And you don't have to knock, just go right in, I will usually be there." Crane nodded affirmatively.

They strolled through two more sets of hallways until the mountain lion stopped in front of a small bamboo entrance. "Okay we're here. She reached into a small pouch located on the inside of her vest and pulled out a small wooden key. Without hesitating, she pressed it into the lock on her door.

Suddenly there was a small click, and the door flew open. It was a small room, but was neatly collected in everyway. To the left of the dorm, there was a shelf, containing the mountain lions' Lee Dai Studies (Other than Kung Fu, Students of the academy were required to learn the basic history, literature and mathematics of Ancient China). To the right of the room was a window that allowed for a clear view of the academy courtyard. The light from this window illuminated the dark lavender sheets that covered her bed, which had been tidily folded.

Mei Ling traveled to her bedside where she then sat down. "Okay, Jien. You really know nothing about the blood moon festival?" The avian just shook his head. The feline thought for a moment. "Have you ever heard of the Jīnlóng dài?" This time, Crane picked up. "Yea, I've heard of that group. It was a unit containing twenty of China's greatest masters. I learned about them in war history."

The mountain lion stretched onto her bed. "Well… you see, there was another group. This one, the Àn yàn, was lead by five of the darkest criminal legends in the history of China. They single handedly forged a rebellion against the empire so massive, it nearly wiped out half of the nations' inhabitants." The avian's beak dropped slightly. You said… half of china?" The feline sat upright. "Your ears are working fine Jien. Anyway, the Àn yàn was confronted by the Jīnlóng dài, along with the imperial army. The enemy group was eventually defeated, but left only three of the twenty Jīnlóng dài masters alive. So, to remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice to their country, we celebrate the blood moon festival where hope, always conquers fear."

"Wow." the astonished avian answered. "This is a pretty big deal." Mei Ling stood up and smiled. "You know… I'm kind of surprised that no one ever told you about this huge event in our history. I would think that your mother would let you partake in the festival.

Crane smiled weakly. "well, lets just say she's not the biggest fan of kung fu."

The mountain lion, surprised by this, decided to question further. "What about your father, did he approve of the ancient art?" The avian's smile immediately disappeared as he moved his wing to rub the back of his neck.

_Maybe he just didn't hear me._ "Well? Did your father approve of Kung-" Crane instantly cut the feline off. DON'T EVEN TALK ABOUT MY…" the avian stopped, as if he couldn't grasp the word. JUST DON'T TALK ABOUT THAT….. PERSON."

Mei Ling, who was fairly worried about her friend's strange change in tone, had displayed obvious signs of concern that the avian picked up.

"Mei, I'm sorry. It's Just… that my dad, he…"

"Crane! You in here?" The door flew open, leaving a black furred wolf standing in the entryway. "Dé lǔ? What are you doing here? The mountain lion asked somewhat irritably. The canine pulled a letter out from his back pant pocket. "I have something for- Buddy! There you are!" Crane smiled a bit. "Hey… um, can you leave me and Mei, alone for a second, I kinda have to tell her something."

"Well I have something to tell you, and trust me, you're gonna want to hear this one. The wolf responded as he shook the letter in his hand.

The avian rolled his eyes. "What's more important about that letter than what I have to say right now?" "See for yourself." Dé lǔ gave a sly grin before tossing the message to him.

Crane shook his head slightly before reading the text. As his eyes moved down the paper, the avians' eyes widened, and his beak dropped slightly. Mei Ling, who was quite interested as well, wished to know what her friend had received. "Jien, what is it? Who's it from?"

The avian, completely bewildered, set the letter down and replied, "It's from Master Shifu of the Jade Palace… I've been accepted."

**End of Flashback**

Crane woke with a start, only to slump back down into his bed because of the extreme pain in his chest. Wait, pain? Shouldn't he be dead? The avian glanced around. He was in his dormitory, and was completely bandaged around his chest and waist. Only small specks of blood showed past them. When Crane awoke, it must have been pretty violently, because the next thing he knew, Po and Monkey had entered his room.

"Hey Buddy, how you been?" Po asked anxiously. The avian tensed up a bit. "Oh, I've never been better." He said quietly before forcing a smile. "How you been?" Monkey smiled and replied, "If aimlessly jumping off cliffs is good then I think we're pretty well. "Not exactly." Said Tigress as she walked in. Immediately, Crane noticed a difference.

"Tigress, what happened to your vest?" The tiger was currently wearing a black vest with golden silk engravings. "Crane I don't think you realize how much blood you lost. My vest was near entirely covered in dark red. We had to throw it out."

Crane remembered, everything was a blur and everything he saw was either white, red, or both.

"We also recovered some information on the bandit group we were attacked by. I guess they're a breakoff of some rebel group called the Àn yàn.

"WAIT WHAT?!" Crane yelled as he violently sat upright, causing unbearable bursts of pain. "ARGHHHHHH!" He screamed before collapsing into his bed again.

"Crane take it easy!" Po yelled before holding him down. "But, they…they were… how are they… what's happening." The avian stuttered. "Calm down buddy, what's the big deal?" Monkey asked concerned. Tigress however shut it down before anything was answered. "Guys, I think we should let crane rest, we'll have him explain everything in the morning."

Monkey knew he couldn't argue with her, so he agreed. "get well soon alright." He said on the way out the door. Po followed shortly after leaving a homemade calligraphy drawing (that could use some serious tweaking.) by his bedside.

As soon as she was sure they were gone, Tigress then kneeled down next to the avain's bed and whispered, "Crane, I don't say this a lot and this isn't just for what happened today, but for everything you've ever done. Thank you."

Crane smiled and replied, "Don't mention It… Ever."

**Thanks for everything guys and Please Review, It really does help.**


	4. Recovery

**Happy Holidays Everyone!**

**I'm really glad that this story has gained a few loyal followers and I would like to give thanks to everyone who has reviewed and supported me.**

**Thanks to:**

**Veleticj: Thanks, I liked doing the flashback, and If you read my profile page, your guess is correct.**

**Animatedfangirl21101: I'm very glad that you have kept following me on this story, and I'd like to thank you for all the support and kind reviews you have given me.**

**TheWhisperingWarrior: Thanks for all your support. I'm glad you saw what I did at the end.**

**JubJub 0250: I'm happy to see you reviewing the story again! Thanks for the kind review.**

**Reidak Tor Pre Vizsla: I'm happy to see your enjoying the story and thanks for your support.**

**Master Crane: Thank you very much for all the support you have given me. Your story was one of the first fics I ever read, and it's lead me here. So I'd like to thank you for everything you've done to support my story. **

**Lola3934: Another kind review. I'm happy that you like my story! You're awesome!**

**Thanks for everything guys, and enjoy your holidays!**

The next few days were riddled with painful recovery for the avian master. Simple tasks such as walking and eating were excruciating. However, even with the intense agony that clouded his mind, Crane couldn't forget what tigress had said to him the night he had regained consciousness.

Her voice rang through his thoughts, blocking out any other_. "We recovered some information on the bandit group we were attacked by. I guess they're a breakoff of some rebel group called the Àn Yàn."_

It had been four days since the incident at the Tóugǔ pass. As Crane prepared himself for yet another unbearable night, there was a sharp knock at the door.

He let out an annoyed sigh. "Po you've already visited me four times today and I'm not really feeling that great. You know I haven't gotten much sleep anyway".

"Would you mind telling me why that is?" A deep voice responded, unmistakably Shifu's.

"Master Shifu! I'm so sorry, I didn't know that you were here-" The avian stopped talking and put his wing to his chest.

"It still hurts doesn't it?" said a concerned Shifu. Crane looked up and put his wings down. "It's nothing." The red panda shook his head and walked over to him. "look Crane, I need to talk with you."

"I'm listening." Replied the avian.

Shifu sat down, and began fidgeting with his staff. "I was talking with the rest of the five last night. They told me that the mission was successful… and quite unsuccessful. Crane couldn't help but laugh. "Well, you can say that again." He coughed a bit.

Shifu was now looking at the ground. "Why… Why did you do it?" The avian looked at his master with confusion. "Well, what do you mean?" He replied.

Shifu stood and looked at him. "I never could have taught you this. No training would ever prepare you for it."

"What?" Crane was a bit nervous. "Master, I don't understand"

But the red panda just stood there, before doing something that the avian thought he would never witness. Shifu smiled at him.

"Crane," he said, "You have mastered the art of sacrifice. You were willing to pay the ultimate price to save someone who maters to you. And I couldn't have taught you this, Sacrifice is something that you have to learn on your own."

Shifu's smile slowly faded away. " It was just like Róngyù… The battle of the broken swords… Overwhelmed by the Àn Yàn."

Crane's eyes grew wide. "Did you say the Àn Yàn?" the bird thought for a moment. "They all connect… but how?" the old master decided to speak up. "Crane, we all know your mother, but I need to talk about your father.

They avian remained calm, but his eyes were filled with hate. "Shifu, I don't talk about my father because he-

The door burst open. "MASTER SHIFU! MASTER SHIFU!" Zeng, the palace messenger, erupted through the door holding a silver scroll. "Master Shifu, I have just returned from the Lee Dai Academy… She says she'll come."

"Who?" asked Crane. Shifu took the scroll from the panting goose.

He then looked at the avian. "Crane, after Tigress and Tai Lung, you were the third master to join the Jade Palace. You both were young teens at that time. I trained you both, in the physical and mental art of kung fu.

Crane smiled a bit. "yeah I remember. Tigress and I, the most unlikely of pals."

"But you were the most unlikely of pals!" Shifu exclaimed. "When you and Tigress formed the Terrific two, there was nothing that could stop you!"

The red panda paused, and sighed. "You remember the day that the sunset shined between the valley walls, when you flew Tigress onto the palace roof and gazed into her eyes."

Crane blushed slightly. "um…uh…. You… you saw that?"

Shifu chuckled a bit. "You know how hard it is to hide something from me." Crane gulped and nodded before the master could continue.

"When you saw tigress, her eyes were filled with pure friendship. But in your eyes, there was reluctance. I watched as tigress smiled a smile I had never seen before, something that was true to the heart and had meaning."

Shifu handed the scroll to the avian. "There was something that was holding you back from taking your relation with Tigress to the next level. Or someone."

Shifu stared directly into crane's eyes. "You knew that you wouldn't see this person for a very long time, and that no one could replace the grand bond between you." He paused. "Crane, Mei Ling is coming to the Jade Palace."

The avian froze. Mei Ling, the one responsible for his reputation as a master, the one who he had not seen in so long, the one he so dearly cared for, was visiting the Jade Palace?

Shifu stood up. "You get some rest now, and some real rest. I placed several medicinal herbs on your nightstand so that the pain doesn't wake you. The master then opened the door. "I know you've been through a lot, and still have to think about it, but try to sleep."

Shifu smiled again before closing the door. "We have a long day tomorrow."

**The Following Day**

Crane awoke to an icy breeze coming through the open window. He yawned before stepping off his bed to reapply his bandages.

The avian then approached the window, only to be momentarily blinded by the flash of white. The entire valley was covered in a blanket of crystal snow.

In the hall, he heard shouts and the sound of impacts against the wall. Crane just shook his head. "oh what have they gotten into this time…" He walked over to his door and opened it.

SMACK!

As the snow dripped off of his beak and hat, Crane stared at Po and Monkey, each holding a dozen snowballs and eyes wide as saucers.

However, the avian remained perfectly calm as he scooped all of the remaining snow, into his wings. Crane smirked as he rocketed the snowball right into Po's face.

While Po, collapsed onto the ground, Monkey broke into hysterics. Crane began laughing too, and before he knew it, all three were standing in the hall, laughing.

Crane went back into his room and cleaned himself off, before heading into the dining hall. Mantis and Viper were making moon cakes for breakfast while Tigress was seated at the table, studying the ancient fire moves. He walked over and sat next to her. "Hey Tigress, what's new."

"the snow. Haven't seen it in a year." She replied without taking her eyes off her scroll. The avian just rolled his eyes. "have you seen Shifu?" the tiger looked up. "I think he's in the hall of heroes, why?"

"I just need to talk to him about some things." He replied before exiting the room.

As he walked out into the cold, his talons left footprints in the frost that covered the ground. He stopped and gazed over the snow-covered valley that he had protected for so many years.

Crane smiled and thought of all the families down below, he never had the family that he wanted, Mei Ling was the closest thing to family that he ever had.

He sighed and walked over to the hall of heroes, before grasping the door handles.

However, before he could pull them open. A black glove appeared on his shoulder. "It's been a long time crane. A very, very long time." Said a smooth feminine voice.

The avian whirled around and embraced the mountain lion in a passionate hug. "Mei Ling! It's been so long!… Too long." She smiled as a small tear trickled down her face. " I…I was so worried. When I heard that you had been injured I didn't know what to do.

Crane hugged her closer. I'm okay Mei Ling… I'm okay.

**That's all for now guys! Hope you liked!**

**Remember to review as it keeps me going, and you will be mentioned in the next shout out!**

**Thank you.**


	5. New Dawn

**Thanks for the support once again to all my readers. Even Simple reviews mean a lot to an author. Now to the shoutouts!**

**Master Crane: Thanks for your support once again! Also, thanks for the tip on Mei Ling. I believe that she is a Chinese golden cat. Anyway, enjoy this chapter!**

**The Grey Alien: Sorry I took awhile to update again, I'm going to try and update on my mobile phone now. Also, you will get to see Dé Lû again in the story.**

**The Whispering Warrior: Glad your still interested in the story! You will have to keep reading to find out about Crane's father.**

**JubJub 0250: Thanks for reviewing again, your support helps.**

**Podcat: thanks for the kind review, I plan to complete the story in the future.**

**Berserker88: Glad your keeping up with this story, and thanks for the kind review, I hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

**Lola3934: You are right with your guesses in your review, and I'm glad you're still following this story!**

**Peridotj: thanks for the review, and nice apple pie reference. :)**

**P.S.- I'd like to thank everyone who's helped out with and is in the Aura Dragons Community, and I hope that this will help us as authors and as friends.**

The duo broke from their hug and grinned at each other. Crane laughed a little bit as he straightened out his hat.

"So, how's the academy been?" The avian asked. Mei ling's eyes lit up as she returned with an answer. "You wouldn't believe it Jien… Ever since you passed that course, I've seen people at the tryouts I thought I'd never see."

She paused for a second. "You inspired every single one of them."

Crane enjoyed that he had given hope to those who had none, but then again, It wasn't really his doing.

"Also, Headmaster Zhānmǔsī passed away recently, Which makes me the standing academy headmaster."

Crane's beak dropped. "You?" He questioned. "You're running our old academy? That's great! How do you like it?"

The feline grinned. "It's really amazing Jien. I never thought that I would head the school that provided for me, trained me, and t-

"Snow Day! WooHoo!" screamed Po as he burst through the barracks doors, shortly followed by everyone else except Tigress. "Hey Crane! Who's your friend?" The panda yelled as he ran towards him.

"Yeah crane! Who's you're girly friend? Monkey yelled as he approached with the rest of the five. "Or should I just say, Giiiiiiirl friiiiiiiend!" Viper punched him in the stomach with her tail and hissed at him.

Crane smiled nervously. Her name is-

"Mei Ling right?" Po answered.

Crane was perplexed. "ummm… yeah…. that's right. How did you know?"

"You talk about her in your sleep!" Po blurted out, before covering his mouth with both hands.

The avian blushed slightly as Mei Ling giggled.

"Aaaaaanyway," Po continued. "We're all heading down to my dads place for some soup. Shifu gave us the day off and there's nothing better to do."

Crane looked at Mei Ling, and then back at Po. "Alright then… I mean, I guess it'll give me some time to introduce you to the rest of the five."

Mei Ling's eyes grew wide. "The five? You mean like… the Furious Five?!" Crane looked down and smiled a little bit. "uhhh yeah… I forgot to tell you… I'm actually Master Crane of the Furious Five."

The feline was absolutely stunned. "Jien! I never knew about this! That's so amazing!"

"Ahem." Mantis interrupted. "Yeah, I would LOVE to sit here for hours on end, listening about crane's glory, but I'm starving. Let's get going."

Mei Ling nodded. "I guess I'll just follow you guys." With that, the group began their descent to the valley below.

"hey just wondering…" The feline asked as they trekked down the endless stairs. "Why in the world would you want the Jade Palace so high up? I mean, don't you get tired walking up and down a million steps, just to get to a village and back?"

Crane had been wondering this too. Up until that moment, he had never thought about it. But that was because he could glide down whenever it was needed. Now, he had to walk, as flying would be nearly impossible with his wounds.

"Well," Mantis started. "I'm pretty sure that Master Oogway requested the palace be built on a mountain so spotting enemies and watching over the valley would be easier. I think he also mentioned something about it helping with inner peace or something like that."

Mei Ling just looked back toward the temple. "Interesting…"

Walking down the stairs went by rather quickly, and before the group knew it, they were setting foot in Mr. Ping's noodle shop.

"Po!" the old goose exclaimed. "How's my little panda and his friends doing today?" Po couldn't really contain himself. "Oh man, you wouldn't believe it dad. A few days ago, we were all fighting these bandits, and Crane got injured, and we hid, and then we jumped off a cliff and then we-"

Mr. Ping held up his hand. "That's great son. How about you keep telling about it while you help me in the kitchen."

Po sighed. "Alright dad."

As he left, the group found a table and sat down.

Mei Ling was the first to talk. "Alright, now that he's gone, who's the panda? I know he's not part of the five. That's for sure."

Monkey shook his head. "No no no, he's not part of the five. It turns out that Po actually is the Dragon Warrior."

The feline laughed. "Really? The dragon warrior? I highly doubt that." But Monkey just shrugged. "Yeah we doubted it too. But then he kinda defeated Tai Lung and Lord Shen and still had time to eat dumplings after, so... Yeah."

Mei Ling smiled. "He seems like a really nice person.

Monkey reached his hand over the table. "I'm Master Monkey of the Jade Palace." The feline smiled and returned the shake. "Master Mei Ling of the Lee Dai Kung Fu Academy."

The simian pulled back his arm and began introducing the rest of the group. "You already know Crane and Po, but over here is Master Mantis, and Master Viper." Mei Ling extended her arm. "Nice to meet you guys."

Mantis stopped talking and waved, (trying to shake hands would be impossible for his size) "It's nice to meet you as well." He replied.

Viper however, did not respond to the feline's kind gesture. She scowled at the mere thought of befriending this foreign intruder.

Crane noticed this strange behavior, and quickly separated Mei Ling from the heated snake.

"It's great to meet you guys, but I feel like there's someone missing..." The feline looked around. "Where's Master Tigress?"

Po, who had just walked out with a steaming bowl of dragon noodles, spoke up. "I believe she's up at the Jade Palace studying with Shifu. Right before we left I heard him call her into the hall of heroes."

The panda handed each member of the group a bowl of noodles. "Dig in!" He exclaimed. "It contains my dad's secret recipe."

as they began eating, Crane and Mei Ling found a separate table where they could discuss maters In private. The avian removed his hat and began talking. "How's Dé lû been? I haven't heard from him since he gave me that message back at the academy."

The feline's smile that was once present, vanished. "You never received the news did you..." She looked at the ground. "He was such a great person."

Crane's heart sank. "Was? What do mean he WAS such a great person?"

Mei Ling looked up. "He graduated from the Lee Dai with honors, and later joined the imperial army... He sent me a letter saying he was in the mountains of northern China, hunting down an unknown threat."

She let out a sigh. "A couple days later, I received another letter, but it wasn't from Dé Lû... It was from his commanding officer, saying that the entire platoon perished in a standoff against the enemy... They said his body was never recovered."

The avian was stunned. "W-why wasn't I told about this?" The feline shrugged. "I was wondering the same thing Jien."

She sighed again. "But... He knew the risks, and he will always be remembered with glory and honor."

Crane rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, I hope so..."

there was a short moment of silence.

Mei Ling noticed the avian's dismay. "Let's get off this dark note and talk a bit about you." Crane looked up. "Me?" The feline rolled her eyes. "Nooooo, let's talk about Buddah, Yes you!"

Crane smiled. "Well for starters, I'm the sarcastic one around here." The feline laughed a bit. "Noted." Crane smiled again. "Secondly-

The rapid banging of the gong quickly snapped everyone to attention. Outside of the shop, the shouts of panic and running villagers filled the air.

"What's going on!?" Mei Ling yelled.

"That's the valley alarm!" Mantis shouted. "We need to get to the palace now!"


	6. Masters

**Hey everyone! So sorry for not updating in so long. I guess I had writers block, and I missed a February update. Sorry.**

**Now for shoutouts-**

**Berserker88: Thanks for all the support so far, and I'm really glad we can get to work together as better authors. Be looking in this chapter for a mentioning of your story.**

**Coneofwonders: haven't heard from you in a while, thanks for the support and kind review.**

**The Grey Alien: I know, I know, but please don't kill me for updating so late. Thanks for the really awesome review.**

**TheWhisperingWarrior: well, with all the Crane x Viper fics out there, I wouldn't be surprised if she was jealous.**

**JubJub 0250: Thanks for the support once again Jubs.**

**Lola3934: you have been following this story for a bit, so thanks for keeping up with it.**

**Peridotj: thanks for reviewing again. You are awesome.**

**Animatedfangirl21101: thanks for favoriting me and this story, it means a lot. :)**

The confused group franticly rushed up the stairs and burst into the hall of heroes, quickly assuming their fighting stances. The large room was deathly still, for the palace alarm had died out. For a few seconds no one moved. Every breath could be heard; every movement noticed. "Master?" Viper called out. "Are you here?"

The only feedback was the lonely echo of her voice. Silence.

"Turn around." The group whirled around to find the old master balancing on Oogway's staff. He snapped his fingers, and every candle in the room exploded into light. Shifu hopped off and carried the stick behind him. "Follow me."

they obediently followed, winding and twisting through a series of narrow corridors, eventually arriving at a small wooden door with the etched letters, E.E.

Shifu reached to open it, but Po stopped him and smirked, before saying in a mockingly polite tone, "Let ME get the door for you master."

Shifu chuckled to himself. Oh Panda, you realize that by so Impolitely interrupting my action to open the door it actually ends up contradicting your notion to hold it in the first place."

Po scratched his head. "Ummm, can... You repeat that again?"

The old master strode over to the wall on the right side of the door. "besides panda, the door doesn't open like a normal one anyway." He pressed a wood panel on the wall, and a resonant click could be heard from inside the door's locking mechanism.

The entrance revealed itself as the to door effortlessly swayed open. They were now in a Cave-like region, with stalactites and stalagmites threatening to poke through them anytime it caught their guard down. In one hundred meters, the ground dropped off, leaving the cave exposed to the back of the mountain, where the sun's golden Rays flooded the dark environment.

Here, stood Master Tigress, Master Ox, and Master Croc, who seemed to be debating plans on a large map of the valley divisions.

Ox pointed to a dot on the map. "If we barricade the valley of hope and provide fortifications to their main wall, We can provide effective defense from the East!" "That's not an effective move! Set up an ambush along their main passage and finish them with help from the imperial army!" Croc argued back. Tigress shook her head and pointed to the valley of peace. "Right now our objective is to secure THIS valley and take control of any major trade routes to Gongmen."

Croc heard the footsteps of the approaching group and turned to greet them. "Bout' time you showed up! How you guys been? I haven't seen all you since the battle of Gongmen!" The reptilian caught glance of the other feline in the room.

"And who, may I ask, is this pretty one?" Mei ling smiled. "Mei Ling of the Lee Dai Kung Fu Academy. It's nice to meet you." She extended a paw.

Croc seized it and started kissing her hand.

The feline let out a nervous laugh, obviously not expecting such a greeting.

"Croc stop messin' with the lady." Ox said before looking up from his work. He grabbed his crutches and made his way over to them.

"Sorry about my friend here. He's a little... Weird." Croc let go of Mei Ling's hand and looked at his companion. "I am not weird!"

Ox looked away. "Oh, Sure."

He looked at back at Mei Ling. "I don't recall seeing you with the five... Are you new or somethin'?" She shook her head. "No. I'm just here to visit an old friend." Ox smirked. "Well sister, turns out you're gonna be here for much more than that with the battle we got blazin' here... But out of curiosity, who's your friend?"

The feline looked back towards Crane, who was standing with the rest of the group. Ox suspiciously viewed the timid looking bird, and sized him up. He looked at Mei ling, then back at Crane, then back at Mei Ling, and then back at Crane. He then caught sight of the bandages. "Crane?" Ox exclaimed. "What happened to you're chest? Were you injured or somethin'?" "I could ask you the exact same question." The avian replied, staring at Ox's crutches.

"Heh heh, yeah." Ox replied lifting one of his crutches. "It turns out guarding Gongmen by ourselves hasn't been that easy... I mean, these bad guys just won't quit. The moment we defeat Shen, this damn wolf named Hui thinks he can just overtake the city and kill anyone in his way?! Shen himself would be proud!"

The avian cringed at the sound of that. "Well... I expect that you two took care of Gongmen and it's citizens?" Crane asked showing a bit of concern. Ox nodded. "Yeah... We took care of em..." There was a pause.

He looked up at Crane. "Enough about me though. What about you? Your entire mid-section is covered in bandages! What the hell happened!"

Mei ling abruptly stopped what she was doing and listened in. "Yeah Jien... What did happen to you? You never exactly told me about it..."

The avian sighed. The memory hurt just as much as the actual thing. "It was an arrow."

"What?!" The two exclaimed in perfect unison.

"An arrow." Crane repeated. Ox was perplexed. "How are you still standing here? An arrow... To the chest? You should be dead."

"Yeah well... that's not the case, now is it?" Crane grinned. "Does it hurt?" Mei ling asked with concern. Crane looked down towards his wound. "Yeah, but it gets increasingly better as time go-goes... On, M-Mei? What are y-you doing?"

The avian froze as he felt the feline press her paws on his back and chest, observing the extent of his injury.

"Does it hurt if I press here?" She asked anxiously. Crane could feel his bones going to jelly and his face burning up. "N-no. No, not really." He squawked out in a high pitched voice.

Here he was, standing here, as the girl of his dreams felt around his torso. The avian could feel any confidence he had gained melt away, as a strong sense of fear crept up his spine. He didn't know what to do.

Ox however, just stood there and grinned, taking in the full view as he watched Crane get his "check up" by this new addition to the party.

The feline stood up. "You'll be alright, and You should be able to relearn flight in about a week, but you still have to take care of yourself."

"Everyone," Shifu called out. "Gather around this map. We need to discuss the matters at hand." As his voice echoed throughout the great chasm, all members of the group, including Mei Ling approached him.

However, Ox just kept staring at the thunderstruck bird, as he stood there in shock. The avian shook his head a bit. "W-what are you looking at?"

Ox started chuckling softly to himself, before wending his way towards the rest of the group.

"Okay." Shifu began. "Our top priority at this time is to provide protection the three main valleys supplying goods to the Imperial city. I will send one of you to travel with master Ox, and retrieve the masters from eastern China. I will also send one of you with master Croc to retrieve the masters of northern China."

Shifu then turned and faced the map. "After we have successfully secured each valley, the masters will meet at the Jade palace. Once together, we shall join with the imperial army, and battle them head-on."

"Who are... "Them"?" Monkey asked anxiously.

"No one has told you?" Croc exclaimed. "The Án Yán are on the rise! They have challenged the Emperor, and are marching in our direction at this very moment!"

Crane mentally slapped himself. How had he not figured out this earlier? He knew there was something odd about all the events and clues leading up to this moment.

"Hold on a second." Mei ling spoke up. "I thought that the Án Yán were destroyed years ago!"

"That's not what it says here". Ox grabbed a scroll laying on the map and tossed it to the questioning feline, who caught the projectile without even looking at it.

He then looked at Shifu. "Master Shifu, I would appreciate it if both Masters Crane, and Mei Ling, personally accompanied me in my journey to the East. They already have relations originating from the Lee Dai, and that will come in handy when it comes to retrieving other masters near there."

Shifu pondered this. For a moment he hesitated but decided to go through with it. "Fine. You may leave In the morning. I will send Po and Tigress with Master Croc in the North."

Ox bowed. Thank you Shifu.

"Everyone else," The red panda announced. "You shall stay here and guard the valley of peace." With that, the group bowed, and began to leave.

"Wait... One more thing..." Everyone halted and looked back. "This group, the Án Yán, will not hesitate to kill you. This situation won't be like tai lung or Shen. They will not take prisoners. They burn villages and kill children. They're only goal is to spread chaos."

"Everyone just... Be careful."


	7. stalked

**Hey everyone! Sorry about update times, I was on a huge class trip Washington DC, so I wasn't able to write for about a week. My birthday was last Friday, and I just finished celebrating with friends and fam, but now it's time for some Fanfiction.**

**Special thanks to:**

**The Grey Alien: Thanks for all the support you've given me so far. I'm glad you're following the story... I'm also VERY glad you don't kill people for slow updates, because I would be hopelessly doomed.**

**Coneofwonders: happy to see you again, and I believe that in Traditional Chinese, Án Yán can be translated to a form of darkness, or chaos.**

**Berserker88: I'll work on the capitalization thing. Thanks for all the support and everything, I like seeing that you enjoy the story.**

**TheWhisperingWarrior: glad you noticed that part. Crane usually seems calm and collected, but when around someone he likes, things get a bit awkward.**

**JubJub025: Thanks for all the encouragement, Complements always help.**

**animatedfangirl21101: glad to see you again. That review really raised my spirits, and we all know kind words go a long way as I was mentioning to JubJub025.**

**Lola3934: don't worry, I just view Croc as Casanova, as does Berserker88. Crane and Mei Ling are only for each other...**

**Guest: I try to update as quickly as possible, but we all have paces.**

**Spyrofan34: you're new to this story. Thanks for the support so far anyway, I hope to hear from you in future chapters!**

**On to the story!**

"Rise and shine, sleepyhead! We need to get going!" Mei Ling shouted as she playfully slugged Crane in the arm.

" Ow! G-g-get outa here!" The avian blushed slightly as he furiously flapped his wings at the feline, trying to keep himself under the covers. "I'm not even dressed yet! Can a guy get a little privacy around here?"

Mei ling blushed as well. "Oh. Hehe, I'm sorry... I'll meet you in the hall of Heroes. Ox and I are ready to leave."

Crane, still desperately clenching the sheets to his body, shook his head."Fine. just let me change my bandages and get some flipping clothes on. I'll be out shortly."

The feline giggled as she exited the room. "See ya in a bit Jien."

Crane just sighed and shook his head again.

After he had prepped himself for the day, Crane covered his bandages with a navy blue vest that matched his pants. He then walked out to meet Ox and Mei Ling.

"Hey there Crane." Ox called out. "You ready to rock?"

The avian smirked a bit. "ready as I'll ever be... I guess."

"Ox has already established a plan with Shifu." The feline began."Our mission is to travel to The Lee Dai Academy, where we shall gather recruits. We'll probably stay the night there anyway, there's not a village for another fifteen miles."

Crane was about to express his approval, but was interrupted by a loud ruckus from the hall.

"I spy, with my little eye, something... Black, orange, white and-"

"Po..."

"Hold on let me think..."

"Po..."

"I'll come up with something just have me-"

"Po!" Tigress shouted. "For the third time... It's me."

The panda's face hardened a bit. "Okay, fine. I spy, with my little eye, something that doesn't enjoy fun, destroys happiness, and can't learn to have a good time."

This was followed by a resonant whack, followed by a loud thud on the ground. Tigress then walked out of the hall, without Po.

"Hey, Tigress!" Crane called out. "What's that game you're playing? Sounds like fun!"

She growled at him and continued walking.

Po, gasping for air, stumbled out into the open, clenching his stomach. "Y-you think Shen's cannon was bad? I w-would easily take ten of those to the stomach than her iron f-fists." He coughed a bit. "How am I going to survive this trip with her? She hates me!"

"Now now," Ox started. "I'm sure she doesn't hate you. She's probably just a bit annoyed with you, that's all."

Croc, who had just entered the room, walked right up to Po. "Aye, uh... My friend... Um... The tiger... She kinda... Um... Hates you..." The reptilian rubbed the back of his neck. "In fact, I think she hates everybody!" He let out a nervous laugh and patted The panda on the shoulder. "Eh... Good luck my friend..."

Po solemnly watched the crocodile walk away, before following him down the steps towards the barracks.

Ox cracked his knuckles. "We best be headin' out. It's noon and we need to reach the academy by nightfall."

"Sounds good to me." Mei Ling replied. "You ready Jien?"

"Yea." The avian said with a smile. "I'm ready... It's been nearly fifteen years since I last visited home, and I've been looking forward to this for a long time."

With that, the group bid everyone farewell, and set out on their journey.

* * *

4 hours later...

"We're close, but we might be able to make better time of we cut east through this bamboo forest." Ox suggested. Walking and planning all day, a tired Crane and Mei Ling were anxious to reach the academy before sundown. "Let's just go through." agreed Crane." The earlier we get there, the more work that we can get done."

Mei ling smiled and agreed also.

They began on the narrow path, that often disappeared between the long bamboo and rocks. The light from the last rays of the sun provided little to no effect in the dim Forrest. Crane, who felt as if they were lost, turned around to ask Ox for the map.

they were alone."Ox? Ox where are you?

crane was confused, but the feline in front of him was undoubtedly sensing something. Her ears perked straight up and she swiveled her head around, as if looking for danger.

Mei ling fetched her staff and assumed her fighting stance. "I don't think we're alone out here Jien...

"Yeah no kidding..." The avian assumed his stance and surveyed the dark forest. "I got you're back. Just watch the front okay?

No answer.

"Okay?"

Still no answer.

"Mei?" Crane quickly swiveled his head around, only to be knocked unconscious by the dark figure in front of him.

The world was leaping in and out of motion. Everywhere he looked, nightmarish creatures where bounding through the ground and onto other planes. Crane shook his head. There was blood in his mouth, and he was tied to three strands of bamboo along with Ox and Mei Ling,"

"Mei... Ox... You guys alright?" The two nodded, they were just waking as well.

The avian spat out some blood and looked around. It appeared that just adjacent to them, there was a figure leaning up against a large Boulder.

It was undoubtedly a young wolf, who was picking at his teeth with a dagger. He removed the blade from his mouth and spoke softly. "Why'd you come here?

The trio just looked at him and whispered.

"What are we supposed to say?" Mei ling questioned. "it's obvious we're on a mission, but we can't tell him that."

"Is he part of the Án Yán?" Asked crane. "If he's not, we should be okay."

"Just let me handle this." Ox whispered back.

The canine put the dagger in his right paw, where he began to twirl it between his fingers. "Don't be shy... Speak up now.

Ox grinned. "You don't scare me you Án Yán scoundrel. I deal with scum like you every day."

The blade that was once dancing in the wolf's hand was now laying in the bamboo, just a few centimeters above Ox's skull.

The canine walked over, and retrieved the dagger. He then knelt down and grabbed Ox's left horn, pulling it close to his mouth. "I'm not here to play games. Tell me why you're here."

Ox smiled. "I'm sorry, maybe it was a bit too difficult for the message to reach your pint sized brain... "I AINT TALKIN!" He spat in the canine's face.

The wolf let go of his horn and round kicked Ox in the side of the head, nearly knocking him unconscious right then and there. blood was trickling from his nose and mouth, and he was suffering a major concussion. However, the master remained smiling and started laughing. "That all you got? C'mon! Gimme somthin' I'll remember!"

"Why are you here!?" The wolf shouted as he grabbed Ox's neck.

"To meet your mother."

The canine growled. "I can, and will kill you! Tell me why you're here!"

"Here comes your mother now!"

The wolf, his eyes now blazing with fury, fetched his dagger, and pressed the blade against the oxen's throat. "I'm going to count to three... And you are going to tell me why you are here.

Ox's face turned to a menacing scowl. "Try me."

"One"

"Do it. I dare you."

"Two"

"Are you waiting for the grass to grow!? Do it already!"

"Three"

"GO ON! DO IT!"

The wolf gripped the knife tightly and quickly jerked his hand-

"STOP!" Mei Ling screamed. "You want answers! Ask me." Don't touch anyone else!"

Ox gave the feline a suspicious look, but nodded his head. She then glanced at crane, and winked, before mouthing an apology of some sort.

"I can tell you anything you want to know... But you need to come closer." She said in a tone The avian had only heard once before. To him, it was friendly... A bit too friendly.

The Canine kneeled down and anxiously leaned in towards the feline, awaiting any valuable information that was to come.

"Closer." She prompted

He inched forward.

"Closer."

By now, crane had an idea of where this was heading, and he closed his eyes and let out a groan of disapproval. The wolf was now so close to Mei ling, that she could hear his heartbeat. "Well?" He questioned.

The feline smiled, and whispered softly, "listen close" before kissing him full on the lips.

Crane was clenching his eyes shut and banging his head on the bamboo behind him as Mei ling worked her foot around the sheath of the confused canine's knife. Suddenly, she flipped the blade away from him, which was quickly retrieved by Ox, who cut the ropes.

"Shoulda killed me when you had the chance." The wolf whirled around to find Ox standing right behind him. Panicking, the canine reached for a concealed brass whistle hidden cleverly behind his large pointy ears, and blew as loudly as he could.

Ox snatched the whistle and snapped it, as if it were a twig. He then landed such a bone shattering punch to the face that The sound of the canine's jaw breaking could have been heard round the world.

Ox grabbed him and slammed the delirious dog against a boulder. "Now it's our turn to ask..." The wolf cringed a bit and braced for another hit. "What do you know about the Án Yán?" Mei Ling questioned.

He popped his jaw back into place. "Who the hell are the Án Yán?"

"Don't play dumb with me." Ox clenched the bandit's ears and lifted them, bringing the duo eye to eye. "Why did you attack us?"

The canine spat out some blood and hesitantly shook his head.

Ox cracked his knuckles. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't waste our time, we have some very important business to attend to."

The dog sighed in defeat, closed his eyes and recited, as if reading from a manual. "I have a strict duty to maintain the security of these premises from all foreigners by order of our alpha... That's all I was told." He opened his eyes. "When you approached, by duty I had to stop, and interrogate."

The avian was puzzled by this. "Wouldn't it have just been easier not to attack us and attempt killing?"

The canine looked at him. "I never had the intention to kill... Just interrogation."

Crane eyed him suspiciously. "So, if you're not part of the Án Yán... What are you part of then?"

The wolf knew right then and there, he had struck a barrier. The way his eyes frantically swiveled and jolted seemed to present he was arguing with himself, as if he were to disclose the information or not.

"Well?"

The canine slightly opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He closed it, looked at crane and shook his head. "It's to early... The alpha must decide when."

Mei ling turned to Crane. "When? What does he mean when?"

At that moment, a long chain was forced around her neck, and she was immediately brought to her knees. Crane and Ox sprang into their stances, only to find the shackles quickly wrapped around their necks as well.

Four wolves had miraculously managed to sneak up behind the group, and provide an ambush against the masters.

One of the dogs walked around the captives, examining them as they struggled for air.

"Bring them all. He said in a deep raspy voice. "The alpha will see them."

Crane, who heard this, Managed to choke out, "W-wait... Wait." The wolf turned his head around and looked at the suffocating avian.

"Release your grip a bit," he called out to the canine holding the chain. "Let's hear what this bird is dying to say." The metal slid around Crane's long neck, allowing him to get a few extra gasps of oxygen.

"Go on, speak." The wolf spoke to the avian.

Crane looked up. "Y-you're making a big mistake. If you don't let us go, hundreds no. Thousands of innocent people are going to die. Just let us leave and-

"wrong." The canine interrupted. "Wrong. First of all, you're the one's who made the big mistake. You shouldn't even be here. And second of all, we can't let you leave. Once the Alpha knows you're here, you won't go home alive without his permission."

"Well tell your alpha that his little "property issues" will have to wait!" We need to gather recruits to fight-"

"Stop!" The wolf said firmly. "I've heard enough." He flicked his wrist at the wolf behind him, and the chains immediately tightened as before. "Y-you can't d-do thiiiss!" The avian shouted as air was ripped from him.

The canine, ignoring the bird's pleas, swiveled around and crossed his arms before eyeing his prisoners. "Bag em."

The two wolves on the side nodded affirmatively, and pulled a bag over Ox's head. Then Mei Ling's. And then over an extremely reluctant Crane. He knew that the fate of China, now rested in the hands of an alliance of rouge wolves. It would take a miracle to get out of this one.


	8. Chained

**Okay people. I understand that Once again I have fallen short of a reasonable deadline for an update, and I'm sorry. Lately I have been struggling with a case of severe writers block and I have found little to no** **time to devote to my story. However, there are two things you can do to help break the cycle.**

**1\. Simply leave a review to the story. For an author to see that people take the time to respond, suggest, and praise their fic, it inspires them to keep writing.**

**2**.** Please leave a suggestion in a review. To help me break this writer's block, leave a suggestion for what you would like to see next in the story. I will credit, and PM the author if I like their material.**

**Thanks for everything guys!**

**Berserker88:** **yeah, I guess he doesn't mix well with canines right? Let hope that'll change for the next one ;) thanks for everything man.**

**Animatedfangirl21101: unfortunately I have been struggling with writers block, but I have no intentions whatsoever on scrapping this story anytime soon. Thanks for your continuous support and friendship.**

**JubJub 0250: glad to see your sticking with this fic jubs. It's always good to hear from you.**

**TheWhisperingWarrior: Perhaps... You You'll find out soon.**

**The Grey Alien: China's a country about to blow apart... Do you think this alpha will help? Or pull the trigger... Thanks for everything man.**

**Benjaman King: nice to see you on this fic Benjamin. Hope I can talk with you author to author sometime.**

**Jayhawker11: another fan of Master Crane's "forgotten hope". Glad to have you reviewing here.**

**Lola3934: your constant support helps me to keep writing. So Thank you for the time that you spend on my fic, it helps a lot**

**Peridotj: thank you peridotj. I hope to hear from you soon.**

**Kai the collector: I am happy to have you here Kai, and I hope we can be friends on this site.**

"Get up!" The bag concealing Crane's long slender head was violently ripped off as he was seized by the neck, and forcefully tossed to the ground. The avian looked up and squinted at the pale white orb in the sky, a moon nearly shining as bright as the sun.

"Move! Now!" The indignant canine grabbed his wings and hoisted the avian to his feet, before shoving him so hard, he nearly collapsed once more. "You know, if we're gonna be spending some time together, you might wanna consider some manners before touching people you don't know."

The wolf grinned and made sure to shove him straight into the dirt below, kicking him once in the stomach. Crane immediately knew that he had just made a big mistake. "Fine. Have it your way." He gripped his talon around the left leg of the surprised canine, flipping him onto his back. He then seized the freed blade of his captor, using it to slice the ropes containing his powerful wings.

The enraged wolf quickly sprang back up and reached over his shoulder, before rocketing his hand forward releasing three spiraling shrikes. Crane deflected each one, as the canine swiftly lunged towards him. the prepared avian spun and dodged his opponent in the nick of time, sending him flying uncontrollably into the gravel below.

Crane immediately launched himself into a finishing pose, only to be stopped in his tracks by a resounding blast, discharged from an object hastily removed from the canine's belt.

He lowered the Device and aimed it directly towards the avian, smoke still pouring from the barrel. Crane slowly removed his wings from his ears and glared at the armed bandit. "What in the world- wh- what was that? Last thing I heard that loud was..." He paused. "Oh my god..."

A near evil grin creeped across the canine's face. "You don't think everything Lord Shen accomplished was lost right?" He brushed himself off and stood up, before grabbing the startled avian by his vest. "Our alpha has gained superior firepower that this blasted peacock once grasped." The wolf slowly pressed the still burning firearm into Crane's chest. "China's a country about to blow apart... And we're the trigger."

The canine threw his fist back, and punched Crane square in head, immediately knocking the unfortunate bird unconscious.

"Jien... Jien... Jien wake up!" Mei ling shouted. She was leaning over the avian, clear concern in her eyes.

"Ugh... Don't worry I'm fine... Just a bit cloudy that's all." He put his wing to his head and sat up. "Where are we?"

Ox, who was resting against the wall, stood up. "Believe it or not, we're in Chorh-Gom Prison. After Tai Lung escaped, the prison was left to ruin... Leaving the complex swarming with the criminals that it was once supposed to contain."

Crane stood and steadied himself. "Yeah I guess so..." He carefully placed his wing underneath his vest and lifted up. "Ugh... dang it."

seeing the obvious distress on his face, Mei ling placed a hand on the avian's shoulder. "Is something wrong Jien?"

Crane quickly pulled his clothing back and whirled around, eager to avoid any more check-ups from his feline companion. "Heheh, ummm I'm fine... Thanks."

"We shouldn't continue if you're injured Jien. You of all people should know that."

Ox turned and glared at Mei Ling, almost as if she had spoken to him in three different languages.

"And how are we supposed to continue, when we've been locked up in the highest security prison in all of China?!"

The feline smirked as she reached into her pocket, and twirled out a large ring of keys on her finger.

Both ox's and crane's jaws dropped in unison.

"And how-"

"I have my ways." Interrupted Mei Ling."

The avian examined the keys and smiled reluctantly. How she obtained them would probably best be left a mystery.

"What are we waiting for?!" Yelled an impatient Ox. "Let's get out of here!"

The feline laughed. " alright, alright, but we need to keep on our toes. This place is swarming with wolves."

"Yeah I know." Replied crane. "I've gotten more injuries in this last week and a half than my entire Kung fu career." He muttered to himself.

Mei ling silently pressed the key into the rusty keyhole and began to open the gate. "Wait." Ox intervened. "Voices. Hide the key right now."

The feline quickly shoved to key into her pocket, right as the captor approached. It was the wolf who had gotten them into this mess. He swung open the gate and summoned them forward.

Ox smirked. "How's the jaw feeling?" The wolf growled and retorted, "Don't try it." The canine then looked to crane.

"The alpha will see you. And only you. He says it's important that he speaks with "an old friend".

Crane nervously glanced back at his companions, before stepping forward. "Follow me." The wolf said blankly.

After walking for whet seemed like hours over the endless steps of Chorh-Gom, they finally reached a enormous metal doorway, fitted with enough iron to withstand the full firepower of Shen's once mighty fleet.

The door's mighty locking mechanism slid back and upwards, before the entrance revealed itself.

Inside, a black wolf, with green eyes, stood making adjustments on a map. He looked up at the bird, silently examining him, before speaking softly.

"It's been nearly fifteen years Jien. Fifteen bloody years since the person I once was died inside of me."

Crane was confused. "How do you know my name?"

"You told me... Sixteen years prior to this moment, you told me your name."

The avian looked straight at him, and gasped. "Dé lú?"

"this is all very touching, but affection as we all know, doesn't win wars."

Crane swiveled his head towards the pair of unmistakable red eyes in the corner of the room.

"YOU?!"

The sinister avian smiled. "That's no way to greet old acquaintances my friend... And like your canine ally, I am very much alive..."

**Okay so it's not my best but it's still something right? If you haven't, please read the top, and that'll explain everything else I have to say. Thanks for everything and enjoy the rest of your summer.**


	9. Ablaze

**OKAY everyone, just to let you know in advance, this chapter is going to be** **GRAPHIC**.** The events that take place in nearly all of De Lu's flashbacks are what turned him into a stone cold assassin. But a****s usual guys, thanks for the support, and on to the responses:**

**Berserker88: Hey again, thanks for all the tips and support, and also a big shoutout to you for featuring my OC in your own story! Thanks for everything man!**

**TheWhisperingWarrior: Hope you like Shen, you're about to see more of him.**

**LochCroc: Thanks for the kind words, they really help. Thanks LochCroc.**

**S: Glad you think the story is interesting! I'm happy to see you like it.**

**Synchronized Harmony: I've enjoyed your stories for awhile, and it's an great to have you reading my fic. Thanks a ton SH.**

**Mind Jack: Thanks for the support, You seem like a legit author and I hope to better our relations.**

**ALSO: Its been officially one year since my first post! So happy anniversary SOTF, and everyone enjoy the chapter!**

A knife appeared in the wall just inches from Shen's skull.

The black wolf was growling, and his hateful glare was terrifying. "You shut the hell up bird, If it weren't for me, you'd be with your parents right now."

Crane shuddered when heard that. The tone of his friend's once kind and optimistic voice had transformed into that of a dark and sinister one.

"Don't underestimate me you blabbering canine fool!" the peacock shouted as he yanked the dagger from the wood behind him. "I could end your life as easily a candle flame could be extinguished!"

The wolf stepped forward, not the slightest hint of fear in his manor. "Try it."

Crane was worried this might escalate, but mentally slapped himself. _This was my best friend who for everyone's knowledge, had died in a standoff…_ crane silently thought to himself_. And now he's standing right in front of me!? _The avian looked franticly to his friend, expecting some remnant of the person he once knew, but received nothing except the glare of his cold green eyes.

De lu sighed. "I guess you're wondering what all this is."

Crane looked at him pleadingly. "Y-you were dead… How… How are you here now?"

Shen looked insulted. "Oh yes. Just don't mind me, I mean, what am I? Chopped liver?!"

The black wolf simply ignored the peacock's complaints and silently stared downward. "Im afraid I can't truly answer that. You see, I'm a dead man walking. I've lost everything, my home, my friends, my family, and probably even my soul." He sighed. "I have seen things that no one should see..." He hatefully glanced towards Shen. "And all because of that bastard here."

Shen scoffed. "Ugh, hold your tongue. If you were so damn depressed, why not kill me? You see, you've always been afraid." The peacock glanced towards crane. "Yes, it's quite a tale alright. But your friend is no hero. He's simply a coward, hiding behind a mask of righteousness."

Shen was on his back now, having just been flipped with one arm by De Lu, who was trembling with rage. He turned to crane, and pointed to the startled peacock with a shaking arm. "You see, this thing killed me long ago... And it all started the day I left the academy..."

* * *

_Flashback- The Lee Da Kung Fu Academy_

* * *

It was cold. The wind was howling, and the brisk northern air chilled everything it touched. It was a Friday afternoon, and the sun was partially blocked by clouds. De Lu grinned as he raced into the barraks common room, barely leading in front of Mei Ling. He had always been slightly faster than her, but he knew that her fighting skills would almost always trump his.

The canine huffed and looked up. "Wh-what took you so long?"

Mei Ling laughed. "Save your breath you stupid wolf you!"

De Lu shook his head and laughed as well before regaining his composure. "Hey uh, Mei Ling, I kinda need to tell you something, so is it alright if we return to your place?"

The feline nodded. "Of course, follow me."

The duo soon found themselves quietly seated in Mei Ling's dorm, awaiting the discussion to come.

De Lu rubbed the back of his neck and sighed heavily. "You know its my final year here right?"

The feline looked confused. "Um... yeah, why?"

The wolf sighed once again and glanced downward.

"I've joined the imperial army." the wolf confessed whilst silently staring at the floor.

Mei Ling starred at him as if she'd just seen a ghost. "Y-YOU WHAT?!"

"They need every man they can get right now..." The wolf said slowly. "I'll be leaving in two weeks for the front. Apparently they're having trouble neutralizing a young warlord in the Northern mountains, and I guess this is my chance to help."

"But it's suicide!" the feline blurted out.

The canine just grinned weakly. "Come on Mei, You know me, I won't let anything happen to myself."

Mei Ling stood and angrily threw her hands up in protest. "But you don't know that! You have no idea what war can do to a person! The horrible things that you could see... or even do..."

The feline sat down on her bed. "It's not worth it De Lu."

"We all face danger Mei Ling." the wolf said silently. "It's what shapes us, and gives life meaning." He buried his face in his hands and inhaled deeply. "I watched my mother burn alive when I was only 9 years old. If you ask me, that's the worst thing I'll ever see."

Mei Ling put her hand to her mouth. "De Lu, I'm so sorry... I-I never knew."

"Don't worry about it... It's okay." The wolf forced a pained smile. "What I'm trying to say is, I've already seen more evil than anyone should. But I've moved on. This war will be no different. I promise you that. Because in the end, I'll always be who I truly am.

* * *

_2 weeks later- The Front- De Lu's POV_

* * *

It was even colder here, and being a black wolf in all this snow wasn't exactly aiding my stealth, considering the fact that we were under enemy surveillance 24 hours a day. Also, to add to my dismay, any attempts made to acquaint myself with fellow soldiers resulted in utter failure. They all seemed to be in a state of shock, or they simply didn't want to be here. I did however manage to befriend one of the messengers, a female fox by the name of lotus. She was nice enough, until she came back to camp in a wagon full of bloody corpses. That was a sock in the jaw, because until then, I hadn't realized how lonely I actually was. Often, I'd just lay in my tent and stare at the ceiling, hoping that I had made the right choice coming here. But sometimes, if I felt good enough I'd write back to Crane and Mei Ling. Just to let them know I was alive. Or simply because I was bored.

Over the course of the next three days, we marched through endless snow and rugged terrain. Every couple of miles, we'd spot a black object in the distance. sometimes it was an abandoned cart, a weapon, or a dead body. Which one, made no difference to me, or anyone else until that night.

I remember it vividly. The entire platoon was marching from base camp to our HQ in the mountains. The weather that evening was particularly foul, and the wind was nearly strong enough to topple our wagons. Everyone was focusing on keeping warm and staying together, as the blizzard that night could make you disappear into oblivion for all eternity. But despite the bitter cold and snow blindness, all was seemingly normal. That was until someone issued the order to stop and drop. the entire convoy did as they were told, but with some reluctancy from the front of the group.

lying in the snow next to me, was another wolf, white with blue eyes. He seemed only around 19, and from the looks of things, he was pretty frightened. "Hey" I whispered over silently. "Hey you. yeah you." He glanced at me anxiously. "W-what do you want." I smiled and tried to sound polite. "I just wanted to know if you knew what was going on up there." He shook his head. "No. sorry, I'm just as oblivious as you are. But I th-

the thud of an impact filled the air as the blood splattered, covering my face and body.

yells and frightened calls erupted from all over the convoy, confusion and fear spreading like a virus.

I quickly wiped my eyes with my sleeve, and spat out the red iron tasting liquid. Whoever that young wolf was, he was slumped down, face in the snow, and had a piece of metal protruding the back of his skull, blood was spewing from the wound site.

I was in utter shock. I looked down at my uniform and saw only red. I tried desperately to wipe some of it off with my hand, but it just stained my fur. shaking now, I looked left, as the shouts of fear and death had transformed into cries of war. I watched in horror as soldier after soldier began to stand and fire arrows back. But as quickly as each one stood, another would drop lifelessly into the snow.

I swiftly turned right, and started to crawl towards the nearest wagon for cover, until a sickening screech of pain filled the air. A soldier had collapsed right over me, tightly clutching his open throat. His gurgled pleas for help were slowly drowned out as the life seeped out of him. Realizing what had just happened, I hurriedly positioned myself and applied heavy pressure to the severed artery. His eyes danced frantically for a few moments and then went blank.

"DAMMIT!" I yelled into the wind closed my eyes. I continued crawling, faster for the sake of evading another man's death.

Then I heard it. the distant discharges of something way larger then I'd ever seen. This time, I stood and ran. So did nearly every other soldier, but only some had made the choice early enough.

The force of such an explosion hurled me several yards away into the awaiting snow. I lay motionless for a moment, before turning and taking in the scene before me.

The fire seemed to dance slowly, as multiple burning corpses sat ablaze just yards away. It was silent now, the crackling fire taking up most of the sound. but even then, the horror continued. there were still people ALIVE that were burning. their shrieks of utter agony were merging with the wind. I watched as a fellow wolf ran towards me, his entire body covered in flames. he was screaming for all his worth and thrashing about like a rag doll. He collapsed just a few feet shy of my position but kept begging for mercy. He screamed, shouted, and howled to anyone who would listen, before giving out as the fire consumed him.

My heart was ready to explode, My emotions were overloaded, and I was seeing things that weren't there.

That burning wolf wasn't just a wolf anymore. SHE began to shriek and thrash about. I wasn't in the snow anymore. I was in my room. Tears filled my eyes as I watched my mother burn alive. She was begging me to run, She was begging me to look away, just close my eyes, cover my ears, and leave her. but a nine year old loves his mommy with all his heart. I was crying now. tears were streaming down my face. I was screaming for help. darkness was everywhere.

I shook my head and screamed as loud as I could. I was running now. Away, I didn't care where too. I tripped on a body. but got back up.

Everything's a blur now. I'm sure that I'm lost, everything's white but it's so dark. My dagger's in hand and i'm poised to kill. It's silent now, I'm probably the only one left. Behind me I hear it. It's right behind me. I turn and hurl the knife with pinpoint accuracy, the impact of it's collision is deafening.

My victim is lying motionless in the snow, the knife lying straight between the eyes. But upon closer inspection I feel sick. It's not. yes it is. friendly fire.

my own comrade. dead by my hand. that was it. I fell forward and wished for death.

**And that's part one of the story of De Lu. I told you it'd be graphic. Sorry... Please review, And see you next time.**


	10. Whiteout

**Glad to see everyone back! I'll be adding chapters to this and my other fic The Everest Trials, so be sure to keep updated with both.**

**Also, be sure to check out fellow Aura Dragons member Reidak Tor Pre Vizsla III's new wiki page. It's about his his special KFP show, Kung Fu Panda OC Adventures: The Animated Series. It's based on the OC's created by himself and other authors (including myself), so do him a favor and check it out! thanks! **

**The Grey Alien: Thanks, it was quite a fun chapter to make, and to answer your question, I am in fact writing the Everest Trial and this back to back. It's difficult but I try my best.**

**TheWhisperingWarrior: The last chapter was pretty graphic, but let's see how this one plays out.**

**Berserker88: I know. It's a bit odd having de lu and Shen working together, but that will be explained later.**

**Benjamin King: Thanks, glad to see you're still with this story.**

**JubJub 0250: I'll try to get an update on the Everest trial after this, but thanks!**

**Lola3934: thanks for the kind words. I'm sure everyone experiences writers block one time or another. :)**

**Delta: Glad you like the story**

**Mind Jack: I try to give my character a bit of depth through a compelling backstory, But I'm glad you like De Lu.**

**Synchronized Harmony: Happy to see you back, and I'm glad you like the story so far.**

**Thanks for the support once again everyone! Happy holidays, and please enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

_De Lu's POV_

I awoke screaming, my frenzied cries a distant echo, resounding through a bitter wasteland. My heart was still beating out of my chest, and felt as if it would explode at any given moment. As my quick constrained gasps of air made small clouds of vapor, I glanced to the sky, following them as they dissipated. It was day.

Slowly, I sat upright, and glanced around. The shining sun eliminated any indication that a blizzard had ever occurred, and the only remains seemed to be a blanket of endless white snow.

At that point, I glanced down at myself. My black fur was now stained a bitter, crystal white. I guess that solves my camouflage problem.

Then I saw my hands. They were caked in a foul reddish brown fluid that stank of iron. Whatever it was, It wasn't mine. I cringed slightly as I shoved my paws into the freezing white snow, desperately working to wipe the substance clean of my hands. But when I brought them back up, it appeared to only make things worse. The moisture from the melting snow had only re-hydrated the desiccated liquid, which had now stained my forearms in crimson. I guess I could just use my spare scarf to rub the rest off. However, as I turned to retrieve my rucksack, I noticed a dark heap sitting about three yards away.

I immediately ditched the idea of cleaning my hands, as they would probably remain stained for days anyway. I promptly slung my bag around my shoulder and stood, before trudging towards the mysterious object.

As I approached, my heart rate began to pick up pace. Whatever it was, It was stiff as a rock, and surrounded by a dark frozen puddle. It looked a bit like a body, the body of a canine if anything, But I hoped otherwise.

Of course though, fate can be a bitch sometimes. It was a body. The body of a young wolf.

I suspiciously paced around it for a moment, until I caught sight of something, glinting in the sunlight. Then it hit me.

I gasped and fell backward as the memories flooded my conscience like a dark tsunami.

_"Behind me I hear it. It's right behind me. I turn and hurl the knife with pinpoint accuracy, the impact of it's collision is deafening. My victim is lying motionless in the snow, the knife lying straight between the eyes. But upon closer inspection I feel sick. It's not. yes it is. friendly fire."_

Suddenly I felt sick. I turned and vomited onto the snow, before coughing and wiping my mouth with my coat sleeve. I reluctantly glanced at the corpse for a moment. Noticing how deep the blade was embedded, it was certainly an instantaneous death. So at least I knew that I hadn't made my victim suffer. Of course, this offered me little to no consolation whatsoever, as I still had the burden of taking his life.

Time stood still, as I just sat motionless for a moment, praying everything that I had witnessed that night was simply a dream. A nightmare.

No. I shook my head before mentally slapping myself. suddenly I realized that if I didn't get moving, I could end up in the exact same state as my fallen comrade.

Then the next sickening realization came to me. As much as hated to admit it, I was going to need to retrieve my dagger. I mean, for all that I knew, I was the only one left, and chances were that the enemy would be prowling around, searching for survivors like me.

I reluctantly looked towards the body, and shuddered at the idea of retrieving my blade from that back and red mess.

"Damn." I said aloud. "I guess you were right Mei Ling... It just isn't worth it."

I cautiously made my way towards the corpse.

He seemed to be about my age, but it was impossible to tell, as his facial features had been completely drenched in blood. His hazy colored eyes stared blankly towards the sky, and his jaw had gone slack, leaving his mouth wide open. It was almost as if he was in the middle of a silent scream, that nobody but the gods could hear. And there, in the middle of it all, was my shining dagger.

I quickly snapped out of my daze and prepared myself. With one hand gripping the blade, and one hand on the corpse, all I had to do was pull.

The cracking sound of bone and dead tissue rang through my head as the knife slid out of his skull, leaving nothing but a weird black fluid to fill the gap where the blade had once been. My dagger, also dripping in the same dark liquid, seemed to reflect something off its razor smooth surface. I looked down.

almost completely obscured by blood, a small folded piece of parchment hidden inside of a coat pocket was suddenly revealed.

I cautiously inspected the item back and forth before unwrapping the crumpled paper and reading its contents. As my eyes moved downward, my heart and mind wreathed in horror. It began: "_Dear Mom and Dad, If you're reading this, It means I didn't make it. However, as morbid as it may seem, I feel that my sacrifice for this country was necessary, and you should too. You know that I love you guys, and no matter what happens, I'll always find my way back to you one way or another, Whether it be by land, water, or a body bag. You should find comfort in the fact that the thought of my family has kept me alive here until this point, and I want you to know that I cherish each and every moment on this Earth. If anything, this war has taught me how precious life is, and that every second is a blessing from above. I care for each and every one of my unit members, as if they were my own children. We just look out for each other like that. Speaking of which, Make sure my kids know that their daddy will be sure-"_

"HELL NO." I stopped reading there."THIS... THIS... NO... HELL NO..." I dropped the letter and backed away, my sanity teetering on the edge of oblivion, awaiting the snap of one simple thread.

I could feel my heart again, this time thumping like a drum, as everything began to change before my eyes. The snow had turned red, the sky had turned black, and the sounds of war, pain, and death filled my brain. Even the corpse felt off... His eyes were... following me... His pupils locked on to my every move, tracking me everywhere I went. I could almost feel his gaze, burning into the depths of my soul.

"DO I EVEN HAVE A SOUL AFTER WHAT I'VE SEEN?! WHAT I'VE DONE?!"

I could feel my hand tightening around the blade a bit unconditionally. It was as if someone had flipped on the autopilot, and I had no control whatsoever. I stopped moving back, and hastily began advancing forward towards the body, who's pupils were still following me. I could feel my mind raging, but my conscience was screaming to stop. My dagger, now raised above my head, was poised for the kill, and prepared to end the life of someone who was already dead. Finally, almost with a mind of its own, the blade plunged forward, over, and over, and over again.

The eyes stopped following me after that.

I panted heavily for a minute, franticly trying to recollect myself and re-evaluate my psyche. I raised my sleeve again, this time to wipe the black fluid from my eyes, mouth, and nose. Slowly, I lifted my black, gore stained paws, drenched in the blood of a dead man who simply wanted to serve his country and find a way home.

I cursed under my breath before turning away, shielding the world from my teary eyes. I glanced to my dagger, the light reflecting the blue sky off of it's now red and black surface. Without emotion, I repositioned the blade, the tip now pointing straight at my gut. Once again, my mind began to rage, as my inner conscience screamed to stop. My shaking hand temporarily tightened around the handle, eagerly awaiting the signal to end myself. I could could feel the tears flowing, and all the horrors of war flashed before me. I screamed, and jabbed forward.

With lightning speed, my hand jerked left, barely missing my flesh.

Crying, I hurled the knife as far as I could into the awaiting snow, and ran.

I ran, and ran, and ran, Unaware of the imminent danger that lied ahead of me

A massive enemy patrol, with somewhere around thirty soldiers, was trekking through the Eastern Ice-field, scouring the area for survivors of the recent attack. Regardless, I kept running. I shifted my attention to focus on one person, before breaking into a mad dash on all fours towards the group.

I then leapt forward, tackling the soldier with enough force to take down a charging rhinoceros. Acing quickly, I positioned my hands around his head and neck, ready to snap the spine in an instant if necessary.

At that point, every soldier had whirled around with their weapons poised to fire straight at me.

It was only at that moment I got a look at my hostage. He was a peacock. A white peacock, with one hell of an attitude.

"Hold your fire you fools!" He screamed. "You can't hit a target from an inch away, and now you're bargaining my life on the fact that you can strike this scum?!"

"Shut up." I muttered through grit teeth. "You're lucky to be alive. I don't know why I haven't killed you already."

He scoffed. "Don't talk to me in that tone you imperial dog! If you kill me now, your life ends here!"

I dug my hands into his head and neck, resisting the urge to kill him right then and there."Try me."

"I'm not intimidated by you." He snapped back. "I'll see it through that I have your head by tonight. You have no idea who you're messing with."

"I'm already a dead man. I could care less whether I live or die. The same goes for you, bird."

He let out a sinister laugh. "Well I hope you care for them more than you care for me." He gestured to a large cage-like wagon, covered with metal plating and wooden gates. It contained at least six of my captured comrades, each bound with a blindfold and numerous ropes.

The avian chuckled some more. "Now, I highly advise that you reconsider your priorities right now, or I'm afraid that you, as well as them, are all dead men." He let out a sharp whistle.

Suddenly, a large black canine with a missing eye appeared next to the cage. He smiled slyly as he lifted a blazing purple torch above the bars, prepared to drop it on the order.

I was torn.

"How can I trust that no harm will come to them?"

The avian stared blankly at the prisoners for a moment. Pondering.

"Hey bird, Do I have your word that no harm will come to them?" I repeated.

Finally, he responded. "You have my word. But first, you must release me.

I reluctantly did as was told.

The avian let out a relieved sigh, gingerly rubbing the back of his neck. "Ah..." He starred at me, his red eyes observing my stature. "Hmmm... Guards, restrain him. He's coming with us."

He then strode over to the wolf with the missing eye. He looked to his right and glanced at the prisoners for a moment. "Kill them."

"What?!" I screamed. "You just gave me your word! You agreed that no harm would come to them!" The indifferent peacock just looked on, as if he was starring at a ghost, before shrugging and moving onward.

The canine looked at me, grinning. "Lights on." He raised the torch and dropped it into the cage, immediately igniting the dry hay on the bottom. The last thing I recall was the muffled pain filled screams, before that wolf came to me with the words, "lights out."

**Should I do a part 3 of De Lu? Or should I just stop it here? Leave your reply in the reviews, thanks and happy holidays!**


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